City of Hagerstown Designations Pursuant to House Bill 929

As a result of the new Speed Camera Monitoring Law, HB 929, passed during the 2014 Legislative Session, the following changes have been made to the department’s “Safe Speeds for Students” program:

Program Administrator

Officer Tim Culp has been appointed as the department’s Safe Speeds for Students Program Administrator. The position description, as outlined in the law, is as follows: The person chosen by the local jurisdiction, not affiliated with the contractor, who manages the speed monitoring program. The administrator shall be trained before beginning the program and every two years thereafter. As the Administrator, Officer Culp oversees all operations of the system, including activating and de-activating the cameras, approving citations, calibration/certifications, and ensuring the system is operating efficiently and effectively. Officer Culp also provides patrol support to the Downtown Squad and responds to calls as necessary.

Program Ombudsman

Lt. Rebecca Fetchu has been appointed to serve as the Safe Speeds for Students Program Ombudsman. The new law states that the local jurisdiction shall designate an official or employee to investigate and respond to questions or concerns about the local jurisdiction's speed monitoring system or a violation. This designee shall have the authority to void erroneous violations. This designee may not be employed by a contractor or be involved in the review of any violations.

About the Safe Speed for Students Program

The Safe Speed for Students Program was implemented by the City of Hagerstown in April of 2012 with a goal to increase safety for students around our schools with the use of automated speed enforcement. Based on traffic studies conducted before the launch of the program, the presence of speed cameras has contributed to as much as an 80% - 90% decrease in the number of drivers exceeding the speed limit by 12 miles per hour or more in school zones. The cameras were strategically placed in areas where students typically cross the street and where the traffic studies indicated a higher occurrence of speeding drivers.

There are 13 designated school zones in the city of Hagerstown approved for automated speed enforcement. Each area is marked with appropriate signage to notify drivers that the school zone is photo-enforced. Click here to view a map that shows locations of the speed camera systems.

The City of Hagerstown adopted Section 21-809 of the Transportation Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland in developing an ordinance to operate speed cameras in our school zones, which specifies the following guidelines:

Cameras operate from 6:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Monday - Friday.

Vehicles traveling 12 miles per hour or faster over the posted speed limit will be cited. Tickets are issued to the registered owner of the vehicle.

Drivers are charged a $40 penalty, which is discounted $5 if paid within 7 days of receiving the ticket. Drivers are charged a $40 penalty, which is discounted $5 if paid within 7 days of receiving the ticket.

Drivers who are cited will not receive points on their license, nor will the citation appear on an individual's driving record. In addition, the ticket will not be reported to a driver's insurance company.

Radar Certification

Maryland State Law requires the radar units to be certified annually, but the Hagerstown Police Department exceeds those standards by certifying the radar units twice a year.